Study Methods- Before a Test

 

Quizzing: Tests and quizzes are hard and anxiety-producing. One way to help make them a bit better is to practice. Quizzing yourself and your friends not only helps you review the material, but it helps you practice the format of a test or quiz so that its not so scary when it happens in class.

Note Cards: This is a good way to learn a multitude of terms or concepts. Write the term on one side and the definition on the other. Quiz yourself by trying to remember the definition, and then flipping the card over to see if you’re correct. If you get one right put it in pile A, if you get it wrong put it in pile B. Once you are done, review pile B until you get them all correct.

Open-Ended to Multiple Choice to True/False: This method requires a friend, and bit more preparation, but it can be really useful when preparing for a multiple choice or short answer test.  Come up with some questions together, or use a study guide given to you by your professor. Go back and forth and pose the questions to each other. As the answerer, first try to come up with an open-ended answer to the question. If you can’t get it, your friend comes up with 4 possibilities, like a multiple-choice question. If you still can’t get it, your friend turns it into a true/false question or eliminates 2 of the possible answers. This method allows you to find the answer in guided ways, rather than simply looking up the answer if you aren’t sure. It also helps the other person because they have to think about what potential answers to the question could be, and why they are wrong. 

Essay Practice: If you have a test that you know will involve a longer essay, practice writing one. This goes for all tests, but the more closely you can create the conditions of the test you are anxious about, the better prepared you will be for the test itself.

 

Recreate the Conditions of the Test: One of the components of test anxiety is not the information itself, but also the format of the test. Get as much information as you can from your professor regarding the type of questions (long answer, multiple choice, etc.), how long you have, and any other information regarding format (can you use a notecard, can you get partial credit for showing your work, etc.). Then in your studying, recreate those conditions while you practice. Here are some examples:

-Do you only get 30 minutes for a quiz? Try to recall all of the information you will need over the course of 30 minutes, and time yourself.

-Will you get a notecard for the test? Practice with your notecard handy so you don’t waste time memorizing what you don’t need to.

-Is the test multiple choice? Ask if your professor if there is a practice exam that you could use to have some examples in front of you.

 

 

 

Record a 2-3 minutes “top hits”: If you know your primary learning style, this method is useful for auditory learners. It is helpful to listen to right before the exam to review all of the pertinent information. Here are the steps:

• Review all of the test material and isolate what is the most difficult for you to remember or understand.
• Write out a script for yourself in which you talk through that difficult information.
• Record yourself reading the script, in a format that you can easily listen to on the way to class or right before class. (Try a voice memo app on your phone.)
• Listen to your recording before class to review that information!

 

Notecard Method: In many classes you are allowed 1 notecard of formulas or information that you can use in the test. However, even if you aren’t allowed to have that in an exam, preparing one can still be very useful to help you study, especially for formula-heavy subjects. Create a notecard of everything that is difficult for you to remember and then keep it around with you in the week(s) before the test. Take it out and review it periodically in a variety of settings. Over time the information will stick in your head better than 1 or 2 intense memorization sessions the night before the test.